CREATIVE AGENCY
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On the Scene
Feast Forward
Words by Sara Liss
With hot new eateries that are creating well-deserved buzz,
Allapattah is fast becoming the next big thing on the dining scene.
Allapattah is one of Miami’s up and coming cities. Along with it comes shopping. The kind of shopping where you’re supporting local businesses and get a feel for the real Miami. When you shop these outstanding spots, you’re supporting a dream someone worked to make a reality. And that reality is, these shops are so quaint, cute and necessary, you’ll be happy to keep someone’s dream alive by coming back time and time again.
With hot new eateries that are creating well-deserved buzz, Allapattah is fast becoming the next big thing on the dining scene.
Not long ago, eating out in Allapattah meant a trip to Club Tipico Dominicano on a lively night, where dishes of traditional foods such as chivo and mangu pair with a clubby atmosphere that encourages guests to dance salsa, merengue, and bachata late into the night. The neighborhood is home to a large Dominican population and has been a hub for the community since the 1960’s. But when Brooklyn restaurateur Billy Durney opened Hometown BBQ a few blocks away in 2019, which was followed by the opening of upscale Basque restaurant Leku in 2020, it signaled a change in the local dining scene. Now, Allapatah is home to a burgeoning restaurant orbit that includes hipster-worthy dive bars, fine dining, and decades-old mom-and-pop places that offer a bevy of options in this evolving neighborhood.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Allapattah is situated northwest of downtown and west of Wynwood, encompassing nearly five square miles. Dubbed the Fruit Packing District for its produce markets and flower istributors, the neighborhood is now seeing a flurry of new investment and millions of square feet of fresh development. In 2019 Mera and Don Rubell moved their
contemporary art collection from Wynwood to Allapattah to open the Rubell Museum, a 100,000-square-foot campus of 40 galleries and a library in what was once a former
food-processing complex. When looking for a restaurant partner, they tapped a team of
hospitality veterans to open Leku, a highend homage to Spanish cooking, complete with the first Josper outdoor double grill in South Florida, situated in a lushly andscaped
courtyard. The ownership group includes Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management; Alejandro Muguerza of Le Basque Catering in Miami; Andreas Schreiner of Schreiner
Hospitality; Terry Zarikian of the New York and South Beach Wine & Food Festivals, and
Executive Chef Mikel Goikolea, formerly of Azurmendi Prêt à Porter. The menu focuses on refined Basque cooking spotlighting grilled meats and fish from the Josper grill but also making forays into more complex dishes like duck foie gras terrine dusted with corn nuts and Pedro Ximenes marmalade or the pickled mussels in White Wine and Bay Leaves. The restaurant design is stunning with green and white color scheme accented with contemporary art for a whimsical-butpolished feel.
1100 NW 23rd Street, Miami, FL, 33127. 786-464-0615. www.lekumiami.com
1200 NW 22nd St #100, Miami, FL 33142.
www.hometownbbqmiami.com.
FIRE IT UP
Two blocks away Hometown BBQ presents a more rustic experience with belly-filling Texas-style barbecue served in a 200-seat indoor-outdoor dining room carved out of
the former Brother Produce warehouse space. Nordic-style white oak tables, a blue steel bar, a massive open kitchen, and even the original Brother Produce signage still
found throughout the space create a fitting backdrop for pit-smoked meats like beef ribs, brisket, smoked wings, and smoked turkey. Meats can be ordered by the pound, while
classic sides like mac ’n cheese and corn pudding are also available. An enviable list of craft beers pairs well with the carnivorous feast. While the daytime lunch rush crowd runs the gamut from realtors holding court over ribs and slaw to stroller-pushing parents looking to refuel after hitting Superblue, the nighttime atmosphere is more refined with waiter service and composed dishes.
BOHO CHIC
Over on NW 7th Ave, restaurateur and Miami Bar Group founder Cesar Morales has opened two spots that he hopes will garner the same cult status as his former Wynwood staple Wood Tavern, which shuttered during the pandemic. Tayrona is a colorful homage to Colombian culture and cuisine and features a spacious 3,000-square-foot patio accented with colorful Colombian pillows and a laidback, bohemian, seaside vibe. The menu draws inspiration from Morales mother’s Colombian restaurant with traditional Colombian dishes like patacón con hogao and papa criolla on the menu. The cocktail menu incorporates Colombian fruits, including passionfruit and mora (a tart, acidic version of a blackberry) and pairs them with rums and Colombian aguardiente. A few doors down the block Morales opened Las RosasBar, an unabashedly divey joint that hosts live music, karaoke nights and burlesque cabaret to drag nights. There’s plenty of seating around a large curving bar, along with a pool table, free arcade games, and a photo booth for throwback moments. It’s all very preWynwood feeling and raw and earnest – and the same can be said for Allapattah itself.
And while these millennial-leaning newbies have garnered much buzz, there are still those old-school ethnic places worth checking out like Cuban stalwart Don Toston, fried seafood at Plaza Seafood Market and overstuffed sandwiches from Subs on the Run (their steak and cheese sub is the stuff of legends) and of course Club Tipico, an authentic no-frills spot that stays true to its Dominican roots. They make dining in the neighborhood an exciting and delicious experience, paving the way for more interesting spots looking to make this neighborhood home.
2927 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33127. www.tayronamiami.com